The Green Exorcist
by Wolf of the Black Rose
Summary: Ryouichi Matsushita; Son of Belial, Exorcist, Protector of Rin Okumura. He comes back to True Cross to watch of his friends after Shiro dies. With his own secrets to hide from the others, Ryou needs to be ready for the fight of his life, maybe even finding out some secrets about his family's demise in the process.
1. Chapter 1

**Oh my gosh! I have a new fanfiction that is not Yu-gi-oh GX! The world's coming to an end! (And with the way things are going, that may just happen.) Anyway, this is my first** _ **Blue Exorcist**_ **fanfiction.**

 **Disclaimer: Wolf doesn't own Blue Exorcist, she only owns her OC's.**

 **Now, let the story begin!**

Chapter 1: The Return of an Old Friend

A train pulled into True Cross Station on a sunny yet windy day. People boarded and exited the train, same as always. However, there was one passenger that exited the train that would have stood out if people knew what made him different.

He was a young man, about fifteen. He stood 5'8" with a sleek build. He had messy, blond hair that reaches just past his ears, blue eyes, and pale skin. You couldn't see them under his jeans, but he had a couple of scars on his legs.

He was wearing a white hoodie over a gray tank top, black jeans, and black converse high-top sneakers. He also had a black collar with silver pyramid studs and gray fingerless gloves.

His ears were pierced, three times each. Once on the lob, twice on the top. His left ear had a bar going through it for the third.

He looked like a handsome delinquent, but he had some features that stood out. If you saw his teeth, you would notice that his canine's were slightly prominent. If you got a good look at his ears, you would see they were slightly pointed.

His luggage seemed normal, a suitcase, a backpack, etc. The only thing that would have made people look again was the dark violet sword sleeve on his back.

With his gangster looks, people would think that he does kendo. However, if those people know of the world of demons and exorcists, they would know better.

If they know of this world, they would have known by his features that he was half demon. If they knew of this world, they would know by the sword and the way he carried himself that he was an exorcist.

His name was Ryouichi Matsushita, known more commonly as Ryou. Middle First Class Exorcist, meisters in Knight, Tamer, and Aria. He was also the son of Belial, the right hand of Satan and one of the seven kings of Gehenna, identified by his green flames.

Ryou walked out of the terminal and took a seat on a nearby bench. He took out a book from his bag and started reading. He waited a good fifteen minutes before closing the book and taking out his black smartphone to call someone.

 _"Why, hello! To what do I owe the pleasure of this call from an old friend?"_ Answered a cheery voice on the other end.

"I'm at the train station, Pinkie, where are you?" Ryou asked, snidely.

 _"You were coming today?!"_ The other voice asked, exaggerating the shock. _"Oh, I feel so awful!"_

"Cut the crap, Mephisto, just either come get me or I'll come to you!"

 _"Oh, there's no need to do that, just go use the restroom. I'll be waiting for you!"_ There was a click, signalling Mephisto had hung up.

"One of these days, I'm gonna kick his ass." Ryou muttered under his breath.

He got up and headed back into the terminal, making a move for the bathroom. When he opened the door, it didn't lead to the bathroom, but into a large, plush looking office. Sitting at the desk was a man dressed, in his opinion, like a clown.

He had only seen him in person a few times, but Ryou knew who he was. He was the dean of True Cross Academy. With normal humans, he was Johann Faust the Fifth. With those who lived in the world of demons, he was Mephisto Pheles. At one point in time he was known as Loki the Trickster God, so naturally Ryou didn't trust this guy for the life of him.

"Ah, Mr. Matsushita, welcome back." Mephisto greeted the newcomer.

Ryou, however, was not in a pleasant mood. "Care to explain why you waited so long to tell me about Father Fujimoto's death. He was my legal guardian after all."

"I do apologize for that," Mephisto turned serious and somber. "There was a mix-up in communication, one I didn't see until a few days ago."

Ryou didn't respond, an indication that he didn't believe him. "But, back to the reason I called you here. It's about your old friends, Rin and Yukio Okumura."

"Rin knows, doesn't he?" The young exorcist asked, quietly.

"Yes, he does. Despite this fact, I still want you on as his protector until he can fully master his flames. I'd also like you to help him with his swordsmanship."

Ryou nodded, though his heart was elsewhere. He had feared the day this would come, and now Shiro was gone. He didn't want Rin to be in this world, he knew for a fact just how fast people turn on you when they learn you're half demon.

"I'll head back to my apartment." He said, getting ready to leave.

"Very well," Mephisto nodded, handing him a box. "Here's your uniforms and new key."

Ryou nodded again and headed for the door. In a flash, he was inside a modest little apartment building on the third floor.

"Looks like they finally fixed the elevator." Ryouichi noted.

A moment later, he was opening his front door. It was a simple two bedroom apartment, not much in the way of furniture. The living room had a TV, a couch, and a coffee table, which was usually where he ate. He also had an actual dining area next to it, but that room usually ended up serving as his library, since it had two tall bookcases full of books.

His room was farther towards the back. This room was simple, with a dark violet bed, a nightstand with a lamp, and a dresser. He also had glow-in-the-dark stars up on his ceiling in different constellations.

He set his stuff down and went into the bathroom to change into his new school uniform. He wore his uniform in a way that made him look like a delinquent. He left the shirt untucked, forwent the vest, and the tie was loose. He kept the collar and gloves and slipped on a pair of regular dark grey sneakers.

He went back to his room to repack his backpack with school stuff. If he recalled correctly, regular classes were over and cram school classes were either done or getting close to it, so it probably didn't make a difference to go now, but it pays to be prepared.

As he picked a different book to take with him, a picture fell out. The picture was of a younger him along with two other boys. They were smiling and laughing, having a normal childhood.

"Rin has no idea how lucky he was." Ryou murmured with a sad smile.

He put the picture back in his book. Deciding to go track down the twins, he put his stuff off to the side. He also decided to leave his sword, how much trouble could he get into going back to school?

He put his key in the door and opened it. On the other side of the door was one of the hallways of True Cross Academy. The hall was empty, so he was right about the time. He was actually surprised he wasn't more tired than he was.

As he went exploring, he bumped into someone. The person was female with blond hair and green eyes. He did a double take when he realized she was wearing a kimono instead of the school uniform.

She looked up at him and blushed bright red. "I-I'm sorry! I was just heading home!"

Ryou thought she looked familiar, then it dawned on him. "Say, do you live at the supply shop?"

"Oh, yes?" She nodded, wondering how he knew.

"I thought you looked familiar, we met that one time Yukio dragged me down there," Ryou remembered. "Your name's Shiemi Moriyama, right?"

"Uh huh."

"Nice to see you again. I'm Ryouichi Matsushita, but most call me Ryou." He extended his hand.

She hesitantly took it. "Nice to meet you, too."

"Hey, do you by any chance know where a Rin and Yukio Okumura are?"

"Oh, they're in that room over there." She pointed down the hall.

"Thanks, see ya." Ryou nodded before leaving.

He glanced inside the room and smiled slightly at the sight of his old friends. They seemed to be having a serious discussion, though Rin didn't look all that serious. Typical.

"What up, brothers?" He greeted.

The twins turned to the door. Rin got a big grin on his face and ran over to give his best friend a hug. "Ryou!"

Ryou grunted at the sudden hug, but he returned it. "Good to see you, Rin."

"You didn't tell us you were coming." Yukio said as he walked over.

"I wanted to surprise you guys." Ryou responded.

"Hey, come on over to old dorm!" Rin suggested. "I'll make us something!"

"Sure, we have some stuff we need to talk about." Ryou agreed.

As Rin went on ahead, Yukio walked up next to Ryou. "You weren't at the funeral."

"I didn't even know he was dead until a few days ago," Ryou responded. "Even if I did I wouldn't have been able to make it, I was being briefed by the Vatican."

"What happened?" Yukio looked at him, looking pale.

"Tell you later. First, I need to tell Rin my side of the truth."

 **And that ends the first chapter. I will be going on a trip soon, so I'm going to try to update as much as I can before Friday. So read, review, and stay tuned!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Well, here's chapter two. The boys are going to have a long talk. Well, this is going to go well.**

 **Disclaimer: Wolf doesn't own Blue Exorcist, she only owns her OC's.**

Chapter 2: Friends and Secrets

"This place is still the dump that I remember." Ryou joked when he saw the old boy's dorm.

"You had to stay here?" Rin asked.

"Second half of my training. Is Ukobach still here?"

"He cooked for you, too?"

"Forgetting that I can't cook worth a damn?"

Yukio laughed. "Come on, we have a lot to talk about."

The boys nodded as they all headed inside. They headed for the kitchen and dining area, where they heard a familiar chittering noise of the aforementioned familiar.

"Hey, Uko, how's it going?" Ryou greeted the little demon.

The cooking demon chattered something along the lines of "Hi, Ryou, welcome back!"

"Since you're here, Ukobach, think you can make us some snacks. Me and the twins have some catching up to do." Ukobach nodded and went to work.

The boys went into the dining area and sat down. The twins sitting across from Ryou. A somewhat awkward silence fell over the group. Rin was particularly fidgety, he had a lot of questions and wasn't sure where to start. Not to mention Yukio was wondering what kind of mess Ryou had gotten into while they were gone.

Ryou sighed. "If you have something ask, then ask."

Rin asked the first question that came to his head. "Why weren't you at Dad's funeral?"

Ryou clenched his hands under the table, like he was trying to ignore the pain in his heart. "Like a told Yukio a few minutes ago, I didn't even know he was dead until a few days ago. Mephisto said there had been a communication mix up, but I don't buy it."

"Where were you?"

"I was on a mission near Akita. Then I was asked to report to the Vatican."

"What happened this time?" Yukio asked, being torn between worry and exasperation.

"I didn't have a choice, okay!" Ryou finally snapped, making the twins jump. "The demon we were chasing was stronger than we thought it was going to be. Two of my teammates were injured and I had lost my sword in the fight! I had to use my powers, it was the only way we were getting out of there alive!"

Ryou panted after his outburst and put his face in his hands. He hated the feelings inside him right now. The biggest emotions were regret and anger, mainly because of the last time he and Shiro had seen each other. Some words were said, and now he couldn't take them back.

He thought he heard someone get up and then he was tackled in a hug for the second time. Rin didn't say anything, just held him.

Ryou was surprised, but he smiled returning the hug. "Thanks, Rin."

"Can I ask one thing?" Rin asked, pulling back to look at him. "How come you moved out of the monastery?"

Ryou sighed. "Father Fujimoto was so set on keeping everything a secret from you, I figured maybe it would be best for me to put some distance between us."

"I thought it had something to do with the fight you guys had a month before?" Yukio spoke up.

"What fight?"

Ryou sighed again. "I wanted to tell you the truth. About what we are and about the exorcists."

"You knew?" Rin whispered, looking shocked and slightly hurt.

"Yeah, because I'm kinda in the same boat as you."

"What do you mean?"

Ryouichi looked Rin right in the eye. "You're not the only one who's part demon."

That brought everything to a halt. "I'm the son of Belial, Satan's right hand man and one of the kings of Gehenna."

Things were quiet for a long time after that, none of the three boys knowing what to say. Guilt had come back on Ryou at full force when he saw the look on Rin's face. He looked hurt and betrayed, and he didn't blame him for that.

Ryou sighed. "I'm sorry, Rin. I wanted to tell you the truth, but I was in a lot of trouble at the time."

"Trouble?" Rin finally looked at him.

"Do you remember some guys ever coming to the monastery?"

He took a moment to think about that. "Now that you mention it, I remember coming home late one day and saw the Old Man talking to some guys in long coats. I thought they were the police. Later, Dad said he had to go on an emergency trip and didn't know when he was going to be back."

"Yeah, those were exorcists from Vatican Headquarters," Ryou explained. "They needed him to come to my trial as a witness."

"Your trial?" Rin looked even paler than normal.

Ryou didn't like talking about it, but he had to get everything out into the open. "While out on a camping exercise with my class, we were attacked by a high level demon. Three of my classmates were hurt, one was unconscious, and our instructor was being forced into a corner. I was forced to use my flames."

" _Your_ flames?" Rin perked up.

Ryou looked around, like he was checking to make sure the coast was clear. Then, he held out his hand, palm up, and closed his eyes in concentration. Suddenly, green flames danced across his palm.

"Whoa." The older Okumura breathed.

Ryou opened his eyes and the flames dispersed. "Yeah, Belial's signature is green flames. Anyway, I was forced to use them and I nearly went crazy because of using too much power at once."

"You looked like you were gonna keel over afterward." Yukio added.

"Naturally, when the Vatican found out about what happened, they arrested Mephisto, thinking it was some kind conspiracy against the Order. I was apparently main evidence. I barely remember the first half of it because I was still out of it. They debated, Mephisto worked his silver tongue, and I was given an ultimatum; Pass the authorization exam with full control of my flames, or I die."

"Seriously?" Rin all but whispered.

Ryou nodded. "The threat's still up, even after I passed. I lose control again, the exorcists have orders to kill me on the spot."

This brought about another round of silence, both brothers trying to take all this in. It's not everyday your childhood friend tells you they're basically a dead man walking.

"What does all this have to do with your fight with Dad?" Yukio finally spoke up.

"Like I said, I was in trouble and I couldn't afford to make waves. However, I wanted to tell you the truth, so that when shit hit the fan you'd be ready for what was coming."

 _Flashback_

" _Shiro, this is a bad idea!"_

" _It's for the best."_

 _They were in the hallway that had windows that overlooked the front gate. Shiro had asked him to teach Rin swordsmanship, and somehow it had ended up here._

" _His powers are getting stronger everyday! Eventually the seal won't be enough!" Ryou argued. "When that happens, demons of all kinds are going to come after him!"_

" _I know!" Shiro conceded, but he stayed firm. "But at least this way he can have a normal life!"_

" _Secrets don't stay buried forever! Eventually, they come to light! Rin's going to find out one way or another! How do you think it's going to look to him if he finds out because he gets attacked and you kept your mouth shut!"_

" _We'll deal with that if it comes to it!"_

" _You mean 'when,' because it's gonna happen! You guys are willing to accept him, but others won't, especially when they find out exactly_ who _he gets his demon blood from! That's a lesson I quite recently had to learn the hard way! You think my classmates like the fact I have the power of the Green Flames?!"_

 _Shiro didn't say anything to that, but Ryou took his silence to mean that he wasn't changing his mind._

 _He huffed and turned to leave. "I'll teach him swordsmanship, but only because I don't want him to be a sitting duck when things go wrong. Rin deserves to know the truth about what he is."_

 _He walked off, not knowing that Yukio had heard the whole thing, and deep down both knew that Ryou was right._

 _Present_

"I'll admit that the fight probably gave me the push to think about finding my own place." Ryou confessed.

"Alright, my final question," Yukio let loose a breath he didn't know he was holding. "Why did Sir Pheles finally call you back?"

"To tell me I still had a job as Rin's protector. At least until he master's his flames."

"... I'm sorry." Came a soft whisper from Rin.

The two boys turned to see the older twin crying, which took them aback. "I'm sorry I've always been such a burden…"

Ryou stared at him, before patting him on the shoulder. "Rin, you have nothing to apologize for. Sure, you're a pain in the ass to deal with sometimes, but we'd do it all over again. You know why?"

Rin looked up at him. "Because you're family, and we love you."

The older twin stared at him for a moment before laughing lightly, wiping away the tears. "God was that mushy."

"I always go for the popcorn at this part." Ryou agreed, and all three started laughing.

"Speaking of snacks," Yukio spoke up. "Ukobach's done!"

At the mention of the little demon, he appeared with a plate of chocolate cupcakes.

"Cupcakes!" Ryou's eyes had stars in them at the sight of the food.

"Control yourself!" Yukio hissed.

"That's like asking a hurricane to change course." Rin responded.

All three of them laughed again, long and loud. As they finally started eating, Rin's cell phone went off. When he went into the hall to answer it, Ryou gave Yukio a serious look.

"You know, you never gave me an answer."

Yukio paused when he was about to take a bite. "Kinda didn't have a chance, since the same day you ended up arrested."

Ryou sighed. "How long are you gonna keep me waiting for an answer of any kind?"

Yukio looked down with a slight blush, not sure what to say. Before he could say anything, Rin came back into the room. They went back to previous conversations, like nothing had been said.

There may have been no more secrets, but now there was a hidden awkwardness.

 **Chapter two's now done and it's almost midnight. At least it's done, so that settles this talk, hopefully we'll get into the action next time. Read, review, and stay tuned.**

 **Happy Independence Day! (For Americans)**


	3. Chapter 3

**Here's chapter three.**

 **Disclaimer: Wolf doesn't own Blue Exorcist, she only owns her OC's.**

Chapter 3: New Teacher on the Block

Ryou was in a dead sleep when _You're Gonna Go Far, Kid_ by The Offspring started playing on his phone. He turned over and grabbed his phone off the nightstand to check the time and shut off his alarm. He had set it to make sure he got up on time for classes.

"I'm not a morning person." He muttered.

He managed to get up and get ready for his first day. He also decided to go make sure Rin was up, remembering he was much worse at getting up on time.

Getting his keys, he teleported to the old dorm. He walked upstairs and found the twins' room. Not surprisingly, Rin was still asleep and Yukio was trying to wake him up.

"Need help?"

Yukio gave him a look like, "you need to ask?"

Ryou stepped out of the room and came back with a bucket of water. He then proceeded to dump it on Rin, who jumped a mile since the water was freezing.

"Who, what, where, how, when?!"

"Morning, sunshine! Time for school!" Ryou smiled, trying to look innocent.

"Was that necessary?" Yukio looked at him.

"Since he sleeps like the dead, yes."

"Fine, I'm up, I'm up." Rin groaned, getting up.

"Meet you downstairs." Ryou headed downstairs, munching on a protein bar he brought with him.

He hung out by the front door when Yukio came down a few minutes later. "Where's Rin?"

"Making our lunches."

Ryou smiled. "Great."

"So, what class are you in?"

"Not sure, I have to stop by the office when we get there."

Yukio nodded, understanding.

They sat in silence for a while after that before Ryou posed a question of his own. "Who's teaching in Father Fujimoto's place?"

"I am."

Ryou gave Yukio a long look, the teen exorcist growing wary and fidgety under his gaze. "What? Why are you looking at me like that?"

"Nothing, nothing, just… never mind. Have fun!" At that he burst out laughing, tears brimming his eyes.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Yukio glared at him.

"Nothing," Ryou calmed down before giving him a smug smile. "Sensei."

"Stop that…" Yukio muttered, turning away.

The half-demon smirked and leaned in close to his crush's ear. "Hey, Sensei, wanna play a game with me?"

"Will you stop it?!" Said crush hissed in embarrassment, swatting at him.

"What are you guys doing?" Asked a voice from behind them.

They turned to see Rin there, holding three lunch boxes and looking completely clueless.

"We were just-"

"Nothing!" Yukio yelped, covering Ryou's mouth. "You done making lunches?"

Rin blinked, but nodded. "Sure."

After the other boys grabbed their lunches, they made their way to school. They talked about normal guy things, classes, friends, crushes, etc.

At that last topic, Ryou noticed that Rin was deep in thought about something. "Something on your mind, Rin?"

"Uh, nah, it's nothing." Rin smiled, but Ryou could see it was forced.

He didn't have time to interrogate him, though. Once they got to the main building, they went their separate ways.

Ryou headed to the administration office. Upon getting there, he saw a familiar face. "Hi, Mr. Tsubaki."

The older exorcist looked over at the newcomer and smiled. "Welcome back, Ryouichi. Starting school a little late, I see."

"Yeah. Had a mission and then a debriefing at the Vatican."

Tsubaki nodded solemnly, knowing what that meant. He was the instructor on the training exercise that brought everything to light.

"For what it's worth, I know you did the right thing."

"... Thanks," Ryou sighed. "Anyway, I came to pick up my class assignment."

"Ah, yes. You'll be in Miss Hisakawa's class. She's a new teacher, but she's very nice," Tsubaki handed him a piece of paper with his homeroom number on it. "What do they plan to do about Cram School?"

"No idea, but I'm sure Mephisto has something in mind."

"Well, good luck."

"Thanks." Ryou left the office and headed for the classroom he was assigned to.

When he got there, he saw there were already some students in there milling about. They hadn't seen him yet, so he was able to listen to a few of the conversations. From the sound of them, it looked like the word of his transfer had already gotten around.

"Hey, what do you think the new transfer student's like?"

"No idea."

"Has anyone even seen them?"

"Nope."

Before Ryou could go inside, someone walked up beside him. "Hello, you must be the transfer student."

Ryou turned to see a young woman, probably early to mid-twenties, in a teacher's uniform. She had long honey brown hair that reached her waist and milky chocolate brown eyes behind a pair of glasses. She seemed kind, but Ryou never really warmed up to people fast.

He nodded as a response. "Great, I'm Ms. Hisakawa, I'm your homeroom teacher. I was just about to start class, so let's introduce you to everyone."

"Okay…" Ryou breathed, feeling a little uncomfortable.

They went inside and everyone proceeded to their seats. Ryou stood at the front of the class and looked over his new classmates. He could tell by the looks on their faces they either thought he was cute, hated him instantly, or were just curious.

This didn't particularly matter to him, it was a trio near the windows that caught his eye. All three were males. One who appeared to be the leader of the group looked like a delinquent, with streaked hair and piercings. He was talking to two boys in front of him, one had pink hair, which he was positive was dyed, and the other had glasses and a shaved head.

"Class, this is Ryouichi Matsushita," Hisakawa introduced him. "He's transferring here after studying abroad in Italy. I do hope you all make him feel welcome. Let's see…"

She looked around the room for an open seat. She found one over by the trio. "Ah, there's a seat open, next to Suguro."

The delinquent, Suguro, looked up from his book at the sound of his name. Ryou walked over to the empty seat, hearing the muttering and whispering from some of the other students as he went.

"Okay, class, let's begin." Hisakawa said, opening a planner.

Ryou took out his notebook and pencil, though soon realized he didn't have a textbook. He looked over at the guy next to him.

"Hey," He whispered. "I don't have my books, yet. Can I borrow yours?"

"Sure." Suguro nodded, pushing his textbook so that it was between them.

"Thanks."

The rest of class and the first part of the day went by quietly. By afternoon break, everyone was either heading to lunch or the courtyard.

Ryou got a text from Rin, asking if he wanted to eat by the fountain. He texted a reply and headed that way. On his way, he ran into a new face.

"Hey, Matsushita!" He turned and saw the trio he was sitting with come up to him, the pink haired one being the one who spoke.

"Hey, what up?"

"Shima was just wondering if you wanted to come eat lunch with us." The bald one said.

"Actually, I was going to go eat with a friend of mine…"

"Then we'll join you!" The pink haired one, Shima, decided, slinging his arm around his shoulder.

"Shima, don't just go deciding things by yourself!" The unnamed one scolded.

"No, it's fine. I'll just text my friend to let him know." Ryou agreed, though slightly reluctantly.

"See, we're good!" Shima smiled at his friends.

Suguro just rolled his eyes and the other kid shook his head.

As they headed to the fountain, the group did proper introductions. Ryou slowly came out of his shell with them and the topic soon changed to Cram School.

"Hey, Matsushita, are you in Cram School?" Miwa, the bald one, asked.

Ryou stiffened a little and looked at them for a moment, but before he could respond, somebody called his named.

"Ryou!" They looked to see Rin waving at them from by the fountain.

"Hey, Rin!" Ryou waved back, walking over to him, leaving the other three confused.

"So, who did you bring from class to hang out with us?" Rin smiled.

Ryou pointed over at the Kyoto trio behind him. "Oh, cool, you guys are in the same class!"

"... You guys know each other?" Bon finally asked.

"Sit down, this might be a long one." Ryou motioned to the fountain.

After everyone sat down and got their food out was when explanations began. They actually took less time than expected, so soon they were chatting and laughing like they had known each other all their lives.

"So how long have you guys known each other?" Shima asked.

Ryou made a look like he was thinking. "I'd say about five years now."

Rin nodded. "Yup, and he lived with us for awhile, too."

"Really?"

Ryou nodded. "After my folks died their dad, Father Fujimoto, took me in. I stayed with them for about a year and a half before going to live by myself."

"You live on your own?" Suguro asked, sounding impressed.

Ryou nodded, smiling proudly.

"Um, Matsushita, about the question I asked earlier…" Miwa spoke up.

Ryou took a gulp of his drink before answering. "I graduated from Cram School about two years ago."

"You're a full-fledged exorcist?!" Suguro was shocked.

Ryou nodded. "Middle First Class, Meisters in Knight, Tamer, and Aria."

Rin gulped what he had been eating. "Knight, Tamer, and Aria?"

"It means I'm good with a sword and scriptures, and I can summon a demon."

"Oh."

"Say, Rin, where's Moriyama?" Shima turned to the other boy.

"Hm, I'm not sure." Rin answered, looking around for any sign of the blond girl.

"Trouble in paradise?" Suguro teased.

"For the last time, we're not like that!" Rin snapped, blushing.

"Then why are you blushing?" The taller boy pointed out.

"That's it!" Rin then tried to jump on him, but was foiled by Ryou smacking him in the chest hard enough to send him onto his back.

This made the other three break out laughing at this, and Ryou chuckled a little, too.

 _Later_

After regular classes were over for the day, Ryou got a text from Mephisto, telling him to come to his office to discuss Cram School. Heading for the nearest door out of sight of other students, he used his key to get to the office.

"Ah, Ryouichi, how good of you to come." Mephisto greeted him from his desk.

"What do you want, Clown?"

"I've decided to enroll you as an instructor in Cram School. It's an easier way for you keep an eye on Rin without some of the instructors wondering why you're back in class."

Ryou nodded in understanding.

"I've already informed the students of their new teacher, you'll be teaching gym and basic fighting, as well as swordsmanship for those who choose to become Knights."

"Alright." Ryou agreed, leaving at the end of the conversation to get ready.

 _Gym Class_

Ryou was standing in a gymnasium with a gymnastics mat that covered the floor and dressed in the school track outfit. He had a white t-shirt with it and the jacket was set aside on a table nearby.

He was passing the time doing warm-up stretches before he heard the murmur of voices coming his way. He looked to the entrance of the locker rooms to see Rin, the Kyoto trio, Shiemi, and four other students he didn't recognize, all in gym attire.

A few of them stopped short when they saw him.

"Ryou?" Rin blinked. "What are you doing here?"

Ryou just decided to jump into it, since it would be self-explanatory. "Hello, class! If everyone could stand in front of me, please, I'll explain myself and then we'll get started."

Once everyone was lined up side by side, he continued. "For those of you who don't know me, I'm Ryouichi Matsushita and I'm going to be your gym instructor. I'll be teaching you guys various combat techniques and, for those who want to be Knights, I'll be teaching you swordsmanship. Any questions?"

After a moment's hesitation, Suguro raised his hand. "Yes, Mr. Suguro?"

"Um, what do you mean by combat techniques?"

"A good question. Since you asked it, want to be part of my demonstration?"

Suguro blinked but nodded, and then he and Ryou moved over to another spot in the middle of the floor, so the class could watch better. They stood opposite each other, while the rest of the class moved off to the side.

Ryou bowed and then took a fighting stance. Suguro got the hint and did the same. They stared each other down for a few seconds before Ryou made the first move.

He jumped into the air, getting some good height and twisting in mid-air to keep his momentum. He then came down at Suguro with a kick. The Kyoto teen only had a moment to react, just barely being able to block it with his arms. Ryou then reversed momentum and backflipped onto his feet at the starting point.

Suguro was in shock for a moment, before getting serious and resuming a fighting stance. Seeing he got the picture, Ryou charged at him and proceeded to try and land a punch or kick on him. Suguro managed block them and counter with a few hits of his own. They both managed to match each other hit for hit, block for block.

The rest of the class watched, stunned by the flurry of kicks and punches that were being thrown.

"Wow, this is just like an action movie!" Rin said, awed by what they were seeing.

"I'm beginning to think that Ryou's someone you want on your side in a fight." Shima commented, both awed and a little scared.

"Neither side is giving in." A brunette girl, Noriko Paku, said.

"Well, someone better give at some point," Her purple haired friend, Izumo Kamiki, said. "This is starting to get boring."

"No one's actually going to get hurt, are they?" Shiemi asked, worried.

"Don't worry, Ms. Moriyama, Bon can handle it. He's done martial arts before." Miwa reassured her.

While they were talking, Bon and Ryou had gotten themselves into a stand still. Ryou's mind was working feverishly to try to find a way to take Suguro down.

That was when he noted that Suguro's mid-section was unguarded. He saw an opening, time to take it.

A smirk was the only warning Bon got before receiving a fast yet strong punch to the gut, almost doubling over. While he was stunned, Ryou grabbed his arm and twisted his body to toss Suguro over his shoulder, who landed hard on the mat.

" _This_ is what I mean by combat techniques," Ryou said to him before turning back to the class. "You're probably wondering how this is going to help you against demons with supernatural powers, but trust me, you're going to be glad you know this stuff one day."

"You okay, Bon?" Miwa asked his friend.

A groan was his only response.

Shima snickered a little. "Looks like he finally found someone who could take him down."

"Shut up, Shima." Bon growled out.

Rin chuckled before moving to help Bon up. "Need a hand?"

Bon accepted the help, groaning as he got up, needing to lean on Rin for support. "Your friend's an animal."

Rin laughed, since Bon didn't realize he was right about Ryou not being human. "I didn't even know he could fight like that."

"Alright!" Ryou called, getting their attention. "Everyone break into pairs, we'll do sparring exercises. We have an odd number, so the remaining person without a partner gets to spar with me. If you haven't broken a sweat by the end of this, you're not trying hard enough."

"Kill me now." Shima whimpered, looking terrified.

"Okay, if I'm having trouble, Shima's going to die." Bon whispered to Rin.

"Somehow, I believe that." Rin replied.

Ryou turned back to the pair. "Since you guys seem to be getting along, you two will spare together."

Rin looked surprised. "Okay."

This caught Bon's attention, since his reply sounded uncertain. "You okay?"

"Well, you kinda just got put through the ringer, I don't want to hurt you further." Rin explained, not looking at him.

"Relax, I'll be fine," Bon reassured him. "Just help me get over to an open spot."

Rin looked at him and smiled. "Sure."

Ryou watched the interaction, but pushed it aside for now. Right now, he needed to focus on teaching (read: torturing) his new students.

 **Finally got this chapter done just as my shift was ending. Ryou really gave Bon a beating. Not like he couldn't take it. Remember to read and review. Also, and it's a little early…**

 **Happy Thanksgiving! (And try not to kill each other on Black Friday)**

 **(R.I.P. Hiromi Tsuru, voice of one of the most well known characters in anime. Though it's a character from an anime I don't watch, I can understand the loss for the anime community. You will be greatly missed.)**


	4. Chapter 4

**Okay, here is chapter four. Hopefully, we'll finally get to the first attack.**

 **Disclaimer: Wolf doesn't own Blue Exorcist, she only owns her OC's.**

 **Enjoy!**

Chapter 4: Instincts and a Surprise Attack

Ryou wasn't kidding about how hard they would be working. By the end of class, everyone was panting like a dog.

"Alright, class dismissed, good work today!" Ryou set them free, much to their relief.

"That was nuts…" Rin sighed, still catching his breath.

"We're going to be in sore tomorrow." Suguro agreed.

"Need… cold… water." Shima panted, ready to pass out.

"Having fun?" A new voice chuckled, which belonged to Yukio.

He had come to check on the students after hearing that Ryou was going to be teaching them. He had been in the same class as him, he knew how hard and long he could go.

"You're enjoying this, aren't you?" Rin looked at his brother.

"Actually, yes." Yukio smiled.

"Okay, hit the showers you guys!" Ryou ordered.

After everyone filed into the changing rooms, Yukio and Ryou were left alone.

"Want to go a few rounds?" Ryou smiled suggestively.

"Oh no, I know how long you can go." Yukio replied, not getting the hidden innuendo.

"How would you know?"

Now he got it. "Will you stop that!"

"Fine," Ryou sighed. "So, why did you come down here?"

"I heard from Sir Pheles that you would be teaching a class, so I came to watch the show."

Ryou gave him a look and smile before getting serious. "I'm worried about a few of those guys."

"Why?"

"Because I think a couple of them are here for the wrong reasons," He explained. "I can sense the resolve in Rin and the Kiyoto trio, but Shiemi and Paku worry me. Shiemi has resolve but no goal in mind, meanwhile Paku has no resolve at all. She knows deep down she doesn't belong here, yet she stays."

"Impure reasons." Yukio summed up.

"Yeah. Also, something bothers me about four of the students. Shima, Kamiki, Takara, and Yamada. I can tell all four of them are hiding something."

Yukio grew silent at that revelation. Part of Ryou's power was powerful empathic abilities, being able to sense the emotions in others. His power's so strong, he was practically reading minds. It was because these readings were always so accurate that Yukio was concerned.

"Unknown at the moment. While Kamiki's secret comes with quilt, the other don't have quilt. Shima has a the sense of a controlled daredevil, while the other two have the sense of duty of soldiers. Finally, Yamada's going out of his way to suppress some of their emotions, while Takara's emotions seem clouded and murky, like he's sleep walking."

"Should we be worried?"

"Unknown. For right now, let's keep close eyes on them."

Yukio nodded. "Right."

"Hey, Yukio, Ryou, we're ready." They turned to see that the Pages were finished and packed.

"Ah, great," Yukio smiled, hiding his troubled expression with ease. "Now, you've all been told about the training camp we will be doing, so you will have two hours to get ready and then come to the old dormitory."

"Right!" With that, everyone headed off.

"Time for Friendship Camp?" Ryou smirked.

"Shut up!" Yukio laughed, knowing his friend's sarcasm.

After a laugh, Ryou got serious again. "You know, if they find out, this bonding exercise will be for nothing."

Yukio became serious as well. "I know, but this is not my decision."

The flame wielder sighed. "I still don't like this."

 _Later The Night_

After leaving the gym, Ryou went back to his place and got some stuff to stay at the dorm. Since he was going to be helping Yukio with Rin, he figured he should go hang out with them. After changing into comfortable chill-time clothes, being some sweats, a t-shirt, and a sweatshirt, he sat in on the lesson, mostly just to make sure Rin was staying awake.

What surprised him was that Rin did stay awake, but he seemed to space out through most of the lesson. Ryou could also sense that Rin was also having some strong confusion and uncertainty. He could tell there was more, but Rin was being so guarded he couldn't look any deeper.

When the session was over and they were left to their own devices, Ryou followed Rin when he left to get a drink. When he found him, Rin had a juice box in his hand and was staring out a window.

"Rin?"

No response.

"Rin?"

Again, no response.

Seeing that that wasn't working, Ryou walked right up to him and put his hand on his shoulder. "Rin!"

This finally got his attention, and got a big reaction. He jumped almost a mile out of his skin and crushed his juice box, causing a mess all over his hand. "Ryou?! When did you get there?!"

"I minute ago, and I called you twice. What's so important that you're that zoned out?"

Rin went quiet and looked down at his hand. He looked troubled and confused, felt it as well, which confirmed to Ryou that something was definitely up.

"Come on!"

He took Rin's clean hand and lead him to where one of the bathrooms was. When he was done, he went and got them both some more juice. Then, they went into the hallway and found a place to sit by the window.

When he felt that Rin was comfortable, he approached the subject again. "Okay, now what's up?"

Rin stopped and looked down at his hands again. Taking a deep breath, he looked at his childhood friend.

"Can I ask you something?" He asked in a quiet voice, like he wasn't sure about what he was doing.

Ryou looked him in the eye and nodded. "Sure, what about?"

"Ok, so…" Rin toyed with box in his hand, trying to put together the right words. "Have you ever _thought_ you were in love with a person, like instant crush, they're your ideal? But then another person comes along, who you thought you hated, and an incident happens where this person could have been seriously hurt, even killed, and without thinking you just jump in front of them and take the hit? Then you two start getting closer and looking past the earlier fighting, and then suddenly this person starts mixing into the thoughts of the first person, even making their way into your dreams at night? And suddenly you're not so sure about your feelings anymore?"

Ryou blinked, processing the information. "I can relate to pieces of that, so I'll try to go along with the rest."

The blue-flame wielder sighed, leaning against the window, looking lost and confused. "I just don't know what to feel anymore. I thought I liked Shiemi, I mean she's the ideal girl, but then I think back to the day Suguro and I were attacked by the Leaper, and the thought of him being killed struck something inside me. It felt like ice-cold fear, almost making me freeze up, the only thing that kept me moving was instinct."

"Wait, so we're talking about Shiemi and Suguro?" The blush Rin had after that told him that he hadn't meant to say the names.

Ryou now felt like he had a better understanding of the situation now, especially since Rin being more open also meant he could get a better reading on his emotional state. Reading quickly, Ryou had a suspicion about what was going on.

"Rin, I think I know what's going on."

"What?"

"Your demonic instincts are looking for your ideal life partner."

"Ideal life partner?" Rin looked at him, curious.

"From how my dad explained it to me, demons have something like mating instincts, similar to animals. They usually start to kick in around the start of puberty. They take in the aspects of our personalities and start to search for ideals that can match and balance those traits. For example, like a desire to protect or to be protected."

"So, you're saying that my instincts are playing matchmaker?"

"Something like that."

Rin now took his turn to blink and process the information before asking his next question. "But what does this have to do with me?"

"From how you're describing it, it sounds like your instincts are out of sync. Since I grew up knowing what I was, my demonic instincts align with my age. They were in tune with me, so I was able to determine my potential mate easily. However, because your power was suppressed, so were your instincts. They're not in tune with your age. Basically, you have the instincts of a baby demon in a teenager's body."

"Okay, but what does that have to do with falling in love?"

"Simple. Your human self growing up with ideas about yourself while your demon instincts are finally getting the chance to develop, and they may think something totally different. You see our demon instincts, they know us better than we know ourselves, you were basically growing up without a part of yourself."

Taking in all the information he had just been told, Rin took a deep breath and stared out the window. "So, how do I fix it?"

Ryou smiled and put a reassuring hand on his shoulder. "It's actually fairly easy. The more you train and work with your powers, the faster your instincts will correct themselves. I'll talk to Yukio, Mephisto, and the other teachers who know about you, and we'll work out a special training regimen for you. Once they are back in sync with your age, who your life partner is will become clear. It will also help your control your temper and powers in the long run."

Rin seemed to go deep in thought after that. After a few minutes, he turned to Ryou and smiled. "Thanks, Ryou."

Said person smiled and nodded a 'no problem.' Suddenly, he got a startled look on his face. Then, he jumped up and stared down the hall.

"What's wrong?" Rin asked, standing behind him.

Ryou closed his eyes, concentrating on something. Behind his eyelids, he saw flashes of another room, two girls inside it, and _something_ on the ceiling. Then, in his head, he heard a scream.

His eyes snapped open and he took off running. "Trouble!"

"Hey, wait up!" Rin called, chasing after him.

Not even a minute after he started running, the scream from his vision was heard in real time. At the other end of the hall was the girls' room. Slamming the door open, he saw the situation was already at the worse stage of the vision. The demon he had seen, a ghoul, had attacked, Paku was injured, and Kamiki was so freaked out that her familiars had turned on her.

Just as they were about to attack her, he jumped in and swung his sword at them. It was still in the sleeve, but it made the Byakko's back off.

He quickly turns to Kamiki. "Tear up the paper, quick!"

Kamiki was still shaken, but managed to do what he said. Her familiars disappeared into mist.

Rin came in right after that and saw what they were facing. "What the hell is that thing?!"

"Never mind that, Rin, I need you help!" Ryou turned to his friend. "Kamiki's familiars are acting up, so she's a sitting duck. I need you to protect her and Paku."

Rin nodded, but he was also nervous. ' _Damn it, I can't draw my sword in here! I hope Ryou can handle this!'_

"Don't worry," Ryou smiled, reading his emotions. "I've got this!"

"Rin! Ryouichi!"

"Shiemi!" The flame-wielders exclaimed as the blond came in with her familiar on her head.

She then noticed that the brunette girl was injured. "Paku!"

There was no time to waste. "You guys take care of the ghoul, I'll take care of Ms. Paku! Come on, don't just stand there!"

Rin was surprised by the take-charge attitude Shiemi displayed, but Ryou smiled as she made her way over to her injured friend.

"Shiemi," He said, mostly to himself. "You took the words right out of my mouth!"

He took his sword, still in the sheath, out of it's sleeve. Tossing said sleeve aside, he charged at the ghoul, twisting around it and slashing at it. When he comes to a stop, he was behind the ghoul. Even though he didn't fully have his sword out, he still managed to cause damage to the monster, if the bursts of temptade were anything to go by.

Rin watched in amazement as his friend did battle. He had always admired Ryou when they were kids, but that admiration just skyrocketed.

With the ghoul turning its attention to Ryou and moving away from Paku, Shiemi got to work at examining the wound. "It looks a lot like a burn…"

"It's ghoul's temptade," Kamiki explained, the fear evident in her voice. "It'll go into chronic soon!"

"Then there's no time to move her, I have to do something now!"

Meanwhile, Ryouichi had managed to distract the ghoul into losing all interest in the others. He took a fighting stance, hand poised on the handle of his sword to officially draw it.

What he didn't expect was it to talk to him. " _ **My young Lord."**_

This took Ryou by surprise and made him hesitate. That was all the ghoul needed to get the upper hand. It grabbed Ryou by the neck and tossed him to the side, through the glass door around the bathing area. He landed hard on his back, but he was still able to sit up after that.

"Ryou/Ryouichi!" Rin and Shiemi called to him.

"I'm okay! Stay where you are!" He responded, getting back to his feet.

"What do I do, what do I do?" Shiemi was trying not to panic.

"Don't worry, Shiemi," Rin reassured her, the blond turning to look at him. "Ryou can handle this, just focus on Paku."

Seeming to take strength in his words, she nodded and turned back to their classmate. "Okay, to treat a burn I'm going to need… Mr. Sato!"

"Huh?" Kamiki was confused, but Rin knew she had found an answer.

"Where am I going to find some?" She asked herself.

That was when Nee, her familiar, decided to give an answer. He came down off her head and floated in front of her. "Yeah, Nee?"

The little Green Man took on a look of concentration, and then a plant grew out of his stomach, a plant Shiemi recognized and needed. "Wha-! Nice job, Nee! You brought me some Mr. Sato!"

"No, that's an Alamara plant!" Kamiki rebuffed before getting confused again. "Wait, why is Alamara sprouting from your familiar?"

Back with Ryou, he was still able to keep the ghoul busy, but his back was slowly reaching the wall. He would have finished it off after he got up, but then the ghoul started to speak again.

" _ **You must listen. The death of your mother is not what it seems to be."**_

That caught his attention. Wanting to keep this quiet, he switched to demon tongue, a trick he had learned from his parents. " _ **If you mean to tell that my father didn't kill my mother, I'm already aware of that."**_

The ghoul gave a rumble before speaking again. " _ **Forgive me. I only do as my Master commands me to."**_

That also caught his attention. From the demon etiquette his parents taught him, demons address those in a position above them by titles of royalty and nobility, such as lord, prince, or king. The only time a demon addresses someone as their master was when they were under the command of an exorcist or some other kind of summoner.

But before he could get more information, the cavalry arrived. "Ryou!"

At the sound of his name being called, he ducked down just as Yukio shot at the ghoul. It was hit at least twice before it decided to make a get away. Yukio kept trying to get another hit on it, but it managed to dodge the shots and escape through an open window.

"Get back here!" Yukio called after it, but it was already gone.

He then turned to his partner. "You okay? Are you hurt?"

"You're late!" He responded.

"I still made it, didn't I?" Yukio countered before he turned back to his brother and the other students, the Kyoto trio was also there. "Shiemi, how's Ms. Paku?"

"Okay, I think." She responded, Nee standing proudly at her side.

"You did good," Yukio praised. "Who knows what might have happened if you hadn't been here."

"Nice job, Dr. Moriyama!" Ryou smiled.

That made Shiemi blush, getting a chuckle out of Rin and the trio.

"Just like you to be able to take a beating and still laugh when it's over." Yukio gave him a look, but was still smiling.

Ryou shrugged and walked over to the others. "I've been hit so many times my pain receptors have called it quits."

"Ms. Paku!"

At Shiemi saying her name, everyone looked down and saw the brunette girl coming to. When she opened her eyes, she turned to Shiemi.

"Ms. Moriyama?" She asked before smiling. "Thanks a lot, for saving me."

Shiemi stared for a moment, but then smiled in appreciation.

While everyone was either checking on Paku or congratulating Yukio, Rin noticed that Kamiki wasn't there. That's when he noticed that at some point during the conversation, Ryou had walked around and was standing near the end of the lockers, talking to someone behind them. When Ryou took off his sweatshirt and hand it off to someone, Rin had a feeling he knew who was there.

He then turned to the other Pages. "Alright kids, take notes from this experience. Even if you think it's safe, never let your guard down."

The students stared back, listening. "The wards are effective but they aren't foolproof. A demon can slip in with enough proding for a weak spot. Never take security for granted, your enemy could attack you at any moment."

Being done with that little speech, Ryou headed for the door. "Anyway, everyone go get some rest. I'll do a sweep to make sure we're alone."

With that, everyone moved to leave, though something was on Rin's mind. During that fight, something had changed between Ryou and the demon. It looked like they were talking to each other in another language, and somehow Rin knew they were and could understand them. Something about the death of Ryou's parents. Up until now, Rin had believed what he had been told about their deaths, but given recent events he was starting to wonder if that was true.

Either way, it could wait until morning. Everyone had been through enough tonight.

 **And this chapter is done. Now things are starting to get a little mysterious. And complicated. But we'll see it through. Read, review, and stay tuned. Hopefully now that I'm on summer break, I'll be able to update more.**

 **(Our thoughts are with the victims of the Santa Fe shooting last Friday. If you are the victim of bullying, or harassment of any kind, I want you to know that you are not alone. You just need to reach out and someone will help you)**


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